What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? - Car Talk (2) - Nairaland
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| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by sandee575(f): 6:40pm On Mar 07, 2011 |
No one has mentioned the irritating "knocking" sound, characteristic of diesel engines in those days and were a turn-off to prospective car buyers. I personally couldnt stand that but fortunately theres been a lot of refinement thats gone into eliminating the diesel sound especially in cars. Another turn-off could be found in their performance speed-wise. The petrol engines afforded higher speeds. Now that these minuses have been adequately taken care of, the fuel consumption advantage diesel had over petrol has been nullified by the doubling of diesel cost as compared to petrol. Im still and will ever be a petrol person. Every other factor being the same i can do without the greasiness that comes with diesel. |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by Nobody: 6:45pm On Mar 07, 2011 |
Wylout: If I was based in Nigeria, I would run a diesel-engined car. Reasons? I've stated more than enough. Engine longevity, mpg, service intervals and the ability to run a diesel engine on alternative oils / fuels. My A6 TDI ran almost exclusively on waste cooking fat, for the 2 years I owned it. |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by Nobody: 7:11pm On Mar 07, 2011 |
sandee575: Yep. A lot of refinement and soundproofing has gone into modern vehicles with diesel engines. I remember being picked up in a taxi, it was a 2006 BMW E60. I wasn't aware it was a diesel, till I'd paid the driver, and gotten out. It was then I noticed the 520D badge, as it drove off. An older car will rattle, true. But then, you get what you pay for. sandee575: I disagree. A lot has gone into diesel development, in recent years. I remember back in the late '80's / early '90's, when diesels were ponderous, noisy and slow. To match an average 1,3L petrol-engined car, the equivalent model with a diesel engine, was often a big, heavy diesel lump, with capacity of about 2,5L. Not so these days - a 2,0L petrol-engined car generally has a 1,9L diesel-engined equivalent, and a lot of tests have shown the turbo diesels to be as quick, and sometimes quicker than their petrol equivalents. I have often been trounced by turbodiesels, mostly offerings from Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen, whilst I owned an Audi S4, which with 265 hp, can't be regarded as slow. An example was the 2003 Volkswagen Golf GTI 1,8T. I remember the 1,9 PD TDI put up against the petrol GTI, and it was quicker, in every sense, bar the maximum speed, which was the same on both cars. Old diesels had a maximum engine speed of about 3,500 rpm, todays direct injection turbo diesels will rev cleanly all the way to just under 6,000 rpm, so pretty close to a petrol model. Diesel enginne technology has come further in the last 20 years, than the petrol unit has come in 40. And this fact has been proven in modern motorsport, with a lot of manufacturers running diesels, this trend was set by Audi, with the R8's V8 twin-turbo petrol being replaced with the V10 TDI for the 2006 season and beyond. sandee575: Nothing wrong with your choice, though the "greasiness" that comes with diesel can be avoided, if the filler nozzle is used correctly. Diesel will froth if the tank is filled too quickly, and the nozzle is inserted too far into the tank's filler neck. Only time I got diesel on my hands in 2 years of ownership, was when I worked on the diesel system, which I still do today, in various client's cars.  |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by Nobody: 7:20pm On Mar 07, 2011 |
Norris, I understand where you're coming from. I also take your point with regards to maintenance of a diesel-engined vehicle in Nigeria. It still boils down to what I stated earlier - if diesel were the same price as petrol in Nigeria, Nigerian mechanics would still scratch their heads, and do their best to discourage potential buyers. Fuel prices can change, alternative fuels, as I previously stated, can alleviate the cost implications of running a diesel-engined car in Nigeria. One thing that won't change, is Nigerian mechanic's attitude to change, or deviating from their comfort zones. Their resistance to change can still be seen in the shift from carburettors to fuel injection, with some mechanics ripping out a perfectly capable fuel injection system, and slapping on an outdated carburettor, leading to a thirstier car, fraught with problems that were self-imposed. |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by Reference(m): 10:13pm On Mar 07, 2011 |
sandee575: Very correct and believe me they still thump, rattle and chatter particularly the German models, Volkswagen the chief culprit. Just driving through the Utako intersection during rush hour with all those Julius Berger vehicles piling out of their compound you would think there was a band playing behind you at the traffic lights, and don't tell me Berger doesn't have world class mechanics working for them. In this part of the world diesel remains messy, step out of line and your car needs a deep soapy wash every few days particularly your rear end and tail pipe area, not to talk of some folks saying you can actually smell the stuff coming through the aircon. Ewww. |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by proo212(m): 10:59pm On Mar 07, 2011 |
To the post above, Talk about ignorance of the highest order. Yes the older diesels are dirty and lumpy but the new generation diesels are much cleaner even without filters. We are talking about Direct Injection Turbo Diesel engines particularly nowadays with particulate filter. (No smoke). If you are so particular about knocking noise like I am, go for a minimum of six cylinder diesels. You eliminate a lot of the knocking found in 4 pot diesels. A V8 diesel is on a different planet entirely. I'm looking to get an Alfa 156/166 2.4JTD 20v (175ps). My favourite A6 3.0TDi is still too expensive. I'll wait. Don't knock a big capacity diesel until you've tried it, the torque is addictive! |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by Nobody: 11:16pm On Mar 07, 2011 |
Reference, I'd say your reference to diesel clatter is grossly exaggerated. A dirty / oily rear end on a diesel-engined car is more to do with an over-rich mixture, or possibly the car has been in the hands of the wrong mechanics. A modern direct-injection turbodiesel doesn't blow out tell-tale diesel smoke on hard acceleration, if it's in good shape. As for smelling diesel through the aircon vents - that would be down to leaky diesel injectors, or leak-off pipes. This will also be apparent on a petrol engine, if the injectors are leaking - a distinct smell of petrol when the aircon is switched on. I'm sure people have smelt burning engine oil through the air vents, when the engine rocker / valve cover gasket springs a leak - same scenario with leaking diesel. Where do you think the air in the passenger compartment is drawn from? It is drawn from the engine scuttle area, (via a pollen filter in modern cars). The scuttle area is boxed off from the engine compartment and nasty smells by a rubber seal, that makes contact with the underside of the bonnet when closed. If this rubber is sound, smells shouldn't come through the vents. Lastly, think of the pollen filter. How often are these replaced by Nigerian mechanics? So, we're back to poor maintenance culture, by Nigerian mechanics. They're the real culprits here, not diesel fuel. |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by babyboy3(m): 11:41pm On Mar 07, 2011 |
in cars. Another turn-off could be found in their performance speed-wise. The petrol engines afforded higher speeds. Now that these minuses Most diesel comes with a turbo engines |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by adconline(m): 11:49pm On Mar 07, 2011 |
Yes, I understand the laziness and incompetence of Nigerian mechanics. Which is odd, given a diesel-engined vehicle, especially older ones are less complex than a Peugeot 504 with a carburettor, very little electrics, and no ECU to deal with. Nigerian mechanics have been dealing with diesel engines since the early '70's, in the OM series Mercedes-Benz trucks - 911, 1113, 1518, 1621, 2624 etc. Same goes for older diesel cars, so not sure why this experience can't be applied to cars! This summarizes everything you have said. I would also like to add that Naija buyers over-rely on quacks as mechanics. They believe anything an incompetent road side mechanic tells them. I had a similar exprience in heavy trucks: a "mechanic" advised his client that it is more efficient to buy an old truck with 235HP,6spd than to buy a newer truck with 350HP, 9spd. Mind you the truck with 235Hp does only one long trip about 500Km in a week, while the truck with 350HP does 3 trips of similar distance in a week. Mechanics just conjure up tales as facts and buyers believe them as god. |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by sandee575(f): 1:52am On Mar 08, 2011 |
@ Sienna. Your piece is informative but there it stops where it applies to the Nigerian context. The average car owner just wants to have the basic considerations about their routine maintenance. Hence the vital statistics at your disposal do not matter even when they make sense.The Japanese cars dominate and that is because of low fuel burn and availabilty of spare parts. Preference for a diesel propelled car has no prominence and it is found only in heavy transport vehicles and in diplomatic circles where local standards dont matter. Investment would find viability in procuring and maintaining petrol fuel injection systems. High diesel prices are due to the demand of same for generator purposes in a country that has all but has none to show. Happy motoring. |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by volasunkan: 2:20am On Mar 08, 2011 |
Sienna,its quite nice to drink from ur fountain of knowledge and without being prejudiced,i think u dont have sufficient experience on running a diesel powered auto in Nigeria.My brother,if you dare try buy a diesel-engine car in Nigeria,walahi,you will suffer!.I once had a diesel-engine car,i read some comments online and i got sucked in,the least of my worries then was mechanic cos I had a very experienced mechanic.My major problems then where the 1. irritating and almost deafening embarrassing engine sound 2.unstable supply and price of diesel!I will drive around with my heart in my heart praying I get a fuel station dispensing diesel!And when you do get,the price would have changed!You are then faced with the option of buying fewer litres and cutting down on your journey time.There are times I would park the car in ikoyi and take bike to lekki to save fuel since I dont have confidence of my next supply.The sad part is that the rest of the people dont even care or bothered,the only time they complain is when price of petrol is changed!I was happy when I changed the car.I must however confess that,compared to its predecessor petrol-engine,its maintenance was extrmely economical. |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by Ojame(m): 2:28am On Mar 08, 2011 |
This has been an exceedingly interesting and informative debate. I have learnt a lot about diesel engines and regional behavioural patterns, not to mention the need to raise awareness levels of mechanics and customers alike. In conclusion my MPV will be diesel and my limousine petrol. @Sienna; I sent u an email, please check ( Mercedes 240E conversion)javascript:void(0); |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by mastro: 5:39am On Mar 08, 2011 |
Siena, In the UK had a diesel car, here in Gidi, there is no point, many years ago brought a diesel Nissan for my father, the engine lasted less than a year before he had to change it. But really the price of diesel right now makes it a non starter. |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by calculusx(m): 8:39am On Mar 08, 2011 |
Interesting and Educative discussion here but considering second hand value when you want to get rid of a diesel engine car, hardly will you see anyone that will price it let alone buying it. Petrol Second hand value Cars will sell faster than diesel engine cars but for trucks,reverse is the case, |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by Nggirl1(f): 8:48am On Mar 08, 2011 |
Just as i tot, a thread 4guys only, though very interesting 1 Like |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by seyigiggle: 9:51am On Mar 08, 2011 |
this thread is the most interesting i have come accross in the auto section, a lot has been learned. but then i wish we have competent diesel engine mechanics and the price of diesel come down. Ng Girl wetin carry you come here or do you think it is romance section? o ya Bleep off! |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by Nobody: 10:49am On Mar 08, 2011 |
I have read comments from all, and welcome responses from all quarters. But there's one aspect which seems have been avoided altogether - alternative fuel, which is free! Or is there more to diesel-engine avoidance in Nigeria? Or is there a shortage of used cooking oil, palm-kernel oil which can be blended with used vegetable oil? The same goes for bleached palm oil. I don't know what ages of diesel engines some have mentioned, with "deafening noise". As a modern common-rail, direct-injection turbo diesel doesn't sound any louder than a petrol unit, I can't see where this comes from. Even in an older diesel engine, it's a known fact a petrol engine is noisier at higher rmp, a diesel engine will be louder at idle, but as the revs climb, the decibel level will drop. It's one of the laws of physics, there isn't an explosion in the combustion chambers of a diesel, you'll only get "diesel knock" at low rpm. This is one of the reasons a diesel-engined car can make do with just one silencer in the complete exhaust system, where the petrol equivalent will need up to three. A diesel-engined car can actually lose the rear silencer, without any increase in decibel level. So, let's ignore the lack of competent mechanics for a while, and look at other areas of gripe. 1) Performance: A modern turbodiesel is as quick as it's petrol counterpart. 2) Diesel availability: Free substitutes / alternative fuels, in the form of used cooking oil, palm kernel oil, used palm oil (bleached) rapeseed oil. 3) Decibel levels: An old diesel will be noisy, yes. A modern common-rail turbodiesel can have very petrol engine-like refinement. More so if more than 4 cylinders. 4) Smells (really?!): A well-maintained turbodiesel will run clean, it's only when service intervals or leaky injectors are ignored, things will get smelly and oily. 5) Running costs: I covered the basics even the least experienced techs can do earlier. Follow these, and your turbo diesel will be around for a long time. As with most things, over-reliance on Nigerian mechanics isn't the best. 6) Fuel consumption: A diesel engine will use less fuel than a petrol one. High cost of diesel, offsets the lower burn rate? Alternative fuels, as mentioned previously will still burn at pretty much the same rate as regular diesel, so even better mpg, litre/km. |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by Pageup1(m): 10:58am On Mar 08, 2011 |
hi siena, how can one buy mack engines over there  |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by Nobody: 11:02am On Mar 08, 2011 |
Page-up: Are you kidding? |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by pannyman(m): 11:05am On Mar 08, 2011 |
@ Siena, did you say alternative fuel is free? Nothing is free in Nigeria I tell you. Our people are very sharp. Once they detect that the oil they were throwing away has value they will start selling it to you, even adulterating it to increase its quantity. |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by bily(m): 11:07am On Mar 08, 2011 |
@ Sienna, you are an automobile specialist and you are talking exactly like one, but what do you think will happen when you tell a layman that just bought a nice diesel car which may be expensive, to now go ahead and pour oil he used in frying dodo into his car? also dont forget he probably knows that diesel specialists in nigeria are hard to come buy, im sure he wouldnt want to experiment except the car manual says he can use ororo, lol. |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by Nobody: 11:11am On Mar 08, 2011 |
Bily, a lot of car manuals do mention Rapeseed oil as an alternative fuel. I doubt the manual would be wrong! |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by Nobody: 11:13am On Mar 08, 2011 |
pannyman: Sure, but there's risk everywhere. Of course, it's possible to use your own waste oil, and if you don't have enough, blend it with palm kernel oil. So, you will be using diesel sparingly, and mixing when required. |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by Kashif(m): 11:54am On Mar 08, 2011 |
@Siena, so we can use these alternatives in our generators as well? |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by Nggirl1(f): 1:22pm On Mar 08, 2011 |
@seyigiggle I commended the thread by saying it's an interesting one yet u tell me 2bleep off, U know wot? kiss my ass. 1 Like |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by Nobody: 2:09pm On Mar 08, 2011 |
Kashif: Possibly, but I would check first, and let you know. |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by Kashif(m): 3:36pm On Mar 08, 2011 |
Siena: Ok, thanks. |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by oYaTo(m): 4:07pm On Mar 08, 2011 |
bily: Thread has been quite educative tho. . |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by mastro: 5:31pm On Mar 08, 2011 |
@ Sienna, I can just see it, Husband: Darling here are the keys for a 2008 GL450 CDI, for your 40th birthday, happy birthday to you etc etc Wife: My one and only, kiss kiss etc etc, calling all my friends to tell them how much you love me week later Wife: Darling I need some money to buy fuel. Husband: No you don't, didn't we eat dodo last night, pour the oil inside my dear, if it's not enough call round your friends and ask for their left over frying oil Wife: Oti O, see my mother warned me not to marry you, me I should be driving Dodo powered GL, it's a lie O! Husband: give me the key jo, I will sort it out, goes to Mr Biggs, Husband: youngman, bring out all your old frying oil, I will pay you N100 a litre. Youngman: Ok sir, 1 min Young man goes round the back, hmm he thinks there is only 5 litres here, adds 15 litres of water, 2 litres of old engine oil, mixes together Youngman: Oga here you go Husband: Ok here is N2500, well done, fills tank, on way home engine stalls on 3rd mainland bridge, damm he says where's Siena's number  , 1 Like |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by Kashif(m): 6:22pm On Mar 08, 2011 |
mastro: Had a very good laugh. This comedian has been hiding! |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by Nobody: 6:56pm On Mar 08, 2011 |
Your comedy skills are outstanding, Brother Mastro. But, can't we be serious for once, at least in this section? |
| Re: What Is The Preferred Engine Type In Nigeria - Petrol Or Diesel, And Why? by Nobody: 7:04pm On Mar 08, 2011 |
Using diesel engines in Nigeria is not practical based on many reasons that have been highlighted here, any one that wants to try it can go ahead and see if it suits them |
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